[apologies for cross postings]


*Call For Proposals: Workshop on Advanced Learning Technologies
for Disabled and Non-Disabled People (WALTD 2009)*

ICALT 2009: The 9th IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning
Technologies : Learning technologies in the Information society
July 14-18, 2009, Riga, Latvia
http://www.ask4research.info/icalt/2009/

Following successful workshops at ICALT 2007 in Japan (proceedings for
the workshop http://CEUR-WS.org/Vol-357/) <./Vol-357/> and ICALT 2008 in
Spain (proceedings for the workshop
<./Vol-357/>http://CEUR-WS.org/Vol-345/ <./Vol-345/>) <./Vol-357/>, we
invite you submit your recent work on Advanced Learning Technologies For
Disabled and Non-Disabled People to WALTD 2009. This workshop will focus
on frameworks and systems for designing learning technologies that can
be personalized and adapted for different learning contexts.

**Submission Dates * *
Authors are invited to submit two-page full papers for review for
inclusion in the IEEE conference proceedings of ICALT2009.
February 20th, 2009 - Paper submission
February 27th, 2009 - Notification of acceptance

Authors are also invited to submit workshop papers of up to 5 pages
describing research related to WALTD for publication in the workshop
proceedings edited by the workshop chairs.
May 1st, 2009 - Paper submission
May 15th, 2009 - Notification of acceptance


*Workshop chairs:*
Emma Bradburn
Centre for Learning & Quality Enhancement,
University of Teesside, United Kingdom
[log in to unmask]

Dr Marion Hersh
Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering,
University of Glasgow
Telephone: 0141-330 4906
[log in to unmask]

Conference Organiser
Dr James Ohene-Djan
Goldsmiths College, University of London,
New Cross, London, SE14 6NW
Tel: + 44 207 919 7862
[log in to unmask]

**Workshop Description**

Access to education, particularly further and higher education,
increases the contribution both disabled and no-disabled people can make
to the economy and society. However, many disabled people currently
experience numerous barriers in accessing both education and employment
and are in an enforced state of dependence, rather than being able to
earn their own living and contribute to society. It is therefore
important to examine the barriers to increased participation by disabled
people in education in order to determine ways to overcome them.
The focus of this workshop will be learning technologies and the
associated underlying pedagogies. Computer based and multi-media
learning technologies have become particularly important, but there are
also very important lower level technologies such as textbooks and
multi-purpose technologies such as laboratory equipment. Disabled people
often require access to both purely learning technologies, as well as
other technologies, in order to obtain the full benefit from education.
Although disabled people often experience serious barriers in accessing
and getting the greatest benefits from education, there have been
advances and there are examples of good practice.

In addition, questions arise concerning the accessibility and usability
of learning technologies to disabled and non-disabled users.
Accessibility is concerned with the environmental characteristics of the
system input and output which either enable or prevent particular groups
of users from using the system, whereas usability is the ability of the
system to carry out the intended function(s) when used by particular
groups of users. Other important issues relate to the cultural
appropriateness of the learning content and the availability of learning
technologies and the associated documentation in different languages.
Related issues include the choice of icons, symbols or abbreviations to
denote particular activities or carry out operations. There are also
specific cultural and other issues relating to the provision of learning
technologies, preferably in the appropriate national sign language for
Deaf people.

**Three main questions are addressed by the workshop**

1. What frameworks and systems exist for designing learning technologies
that can be personalized and adapted for users?

2. What is the current state of the art regarding the development of
Advanced Learning Technologies for Disabled and Non-Disabled People?

3. How are specific challenges related to accessibility and usability of
content and presentation in advanced learning technologies currently
being addressed and should a design for all approach or design for
specific groups of learners approach be taken in the future?

4. What are the key pedagogical and cultural issues in relation to
designing and implementing learning technologies for disabled and
non-disabled students?



**Paper Submission **

Authors are invited to submit two-page papers for review for inclusion
in the IEEE conference proceedings of ICALT2009.

Authors are also invited to submit papers of up to 5 pages describing
research related to WALTD for publication in the workshop proceedings
edited by the workshop chairs.

All papers should be in accessible Microsoft Word format and will be
peer-reviewed.

Areas of interest include, but are not limited to

* The current state of the art in learning technologies for disabled
and non-disabled people.
* Case studies and examples of good practice in developing
learning technologies for disabled and non-disabled students.
* Pedagogical issues in relationship to learning technologies for
disabled and non-disabled students.
* Different approaches to developing learning technologies for
disabled and non-disabled students.
* Involving or consulting with disabled students when designing and
developing learning technologies.
* Learning technologies, open and distance learning - accessibility,
usability and support issues.
* Cultural issues, personal preferences and customisation.
* Specific challenges regarding accessibility and usability of
content and presentation in learning technologies for disabled and
non-disabled people.
* Different design approaches to developing learning technologies.


**Submission Dates * *

Two-page papers for review for inclusion in the IEEE conference
proceedings of ICALT2009.
February 20th, 2009 - Paper submission
February 27th, 2009 - Notification of acceptance

Five page papers describing research related to WALTD for publication in
the workshop proceedings
May 1st, 2009 - Paper submission
May 15th, 2009 - Notification of acceptance
May 27, 2009 - Final camera-ready manuscript sent to Dr James Ohene-Djan
- [log in to unmask] >


The workshop is not exclusive to, but is meant especially for the
following categories of participants:

* Developers, students and educators interested in addressing
accessibility and usability issues in the design of advanced learning
technologies.

* Researchers who want to explore the pedagogical and cultural issues
associated with addressing the needs of disabled and non-disabled
students using learning technologies.

* Students and educators with minimal technical background interested in
researching learning technologies as a key factor in giving disabled
people opportunities for both personal development and economic
independence

**Workshop Organization**

The workshop will last for 2 and ½ hours.
The workshop will consist of 3 sessions each based on one of the 3 main
questions addressed by the workshop
Each session will consist of 10 minute paper presentations followed by a
10 minute interactive discussion.

**Program committee**

Dr Marion Hersh - [log in to unmask]
Dr James Ohene-Djan - [log in to unmask]
Ms Saduf Naqvi - [log in to unmask]
Ms Emma Bradburn - [log in to unmask]
Matt Harrison [log in to unmask]




**Contact Details*

*Please direct any questions on WALTD to
Dr James Ohene-Djan
Lecturer
Department of Computing
Goldsmiths College
University of London
New Cross London
SE14 6NW
Email: [log in to unmask]
Tel: 020-7919-7862
Fax: 020-7919-78